Sunday, 11 December 2016

Recording decent audio is a vital, and as such a necessity. Get it wrong and your audience will leave you faster than a child when the ice cream runs out.

If a video is pretty rubbish to look at, but has great audio - it's watchable. If a video has fantastic looking cinematography but terrible audio where you cannot hear a mumbled word an actor says - you have big problems.

Monday, 5 December 2016

Update 11 Dec 17 - As the new lead slide shows, it's been ONE YEAR since I started using PowerDirector on Android.

In that time I've made around 200 videos using this App and all for a Grand Total of £10.74, see the breakdown:

5 Dec 16 - PowerDirector AndroidApp £5.00

27 Feb 17 - Fly Pack Vol 1 at £0.99

27 Feb 17 - Slide Pack Vol 1 at £0.89

8 Apr 17 - Slide Pack Vol 2 at £0.99

18 Apr 17 - Popup Pack Vol 1 at £0.99

1 Sep 17 - Transition: 3D-Like Pack 1 at £0.89

26 Sep 17 - Transition: 3D-Like Pack 2 at £0.99

timeline dec 16 to dec 17

Total Spend = £10.74 in one year

There are now 43 videos on the playlist, see below

After one year I am STILL using PowerDirector and would be lost without it

PowerDirector is easy and fast to use

The Voice Over feature is brilliant, clear and effective

I use text, slides, recording video, recorded android screens to make a decent message get out to people

However, I also use Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 13.0 on windows 10 too as some edits are better suited on desktop

Which also means I can easily make a short video by using Google Photos, Create a Movie thereby making PowerDirector a perfect middle ground between one click fast and in depth desktop video editing.

Lead image for video 25 12 May 17

12 May 17, update - There are now 25 help video that I've made, all on the playlist.

Image on the left, with the reflected tree in cinematic widescreen shows how far we have come.

As I wrote today in the video 25 youtube description, 'This cements PowerDirector as a really powerful video editor. Just perfect. If I were you - make a 100 videos using PowerDirector on Android and see where it takes you.

It's all about creating the right recipe of the tools, the features and the careful combinations of fine tuning that will help you, quite easily, make videos and films you are more than proud of.'.

Update 20 April 17, All videos on playlist now titled PowerDirector Android App 01 to 21. This is in line with official Cyber Link YouTube Help Channel also using the 'PowerDirector Android App' wording (see their 11 video playlist).

Thursday, 3 November 2016

Introduction .. On this page, you will find all I have found out about what Essex Police Mobile first is all about, mixed in with my own thoughts, observations and of course resources.

It will also help me educate the Public, the Police and myself on what one simple mobile phone or tablet is capable of. Visible policing to me, is not an officer walking or driving down a street, it's having a realtime conversation with officer's in your area, pooling information and keeping up to date with changes and alerts in your area. Wifi access and quad core mobiles mean it's easier than ever before.

Saturday, 29 October 2016

After reading this post, you will be able to make your own screen recorded video, add music and share wherever you like.

In this example, I spotted something (like Essex Police on twitter reaching 200 accounts) and thought - how can I easily and quickly make something worthwhile and timely to tell this story. Something to look back in a while (in this example, Essex Police on twitter had about 104 accounts at the start of 2015, so 200 on 29 Oct 16 is a landmark).

Wednesday, 12 October 2016

I've used Google forms to make a ten question Quiz. This one is a test to see how well it's received. There is a mixture of fun and serious questions. What Google have done, is make it very easy to create and take the self marking multiple choice quiz.

Sunday, 24 July 2016

All of us have been online for years now -- and in that time we collect links and vanity URLs. Some we use every single day and some we let fade like the horizon in a rear view mirror. I've a set of three that double to six (or treble to nine).

Saturday, 23 July 2016

Here's the new youtube channel. In a Penn and Teller type way, I'll share it and some thinking behind what I did and why in the hope it may steer aspiring youtube creators to make one too.

Before you get started, have a read of this Creator lesson: Hook them with your channel trailer. Please don't follow it verbatim, rather choose the bits that you feel are most sensible and appropriate to you.

Saturday, 16 April 2016

As I've followed the UK Police on Twitter over the last five years, I've known some Chief Constables are there too - but no idea how many and how active until now.

No real in depth research as such, just made a list, followed a list made by NPCC and tried to fill in the gaps (You may notice 29 members, and I've included just 26 - the three I have missed are Isle of Man, Sovereign Base Areas Police in Cyprus and St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha).

Friday, 4 March 2016

In the previous blog post, I talked about the Laptop show as a concept. In this post, I'll be looking at the elements and how anyone can make a video series exactly the same as the Laptop show or on a topic of their choice.

Please define laptop as something that sits on your lap, or you can easily carry about with you.